Grandeur
by mjoInir
Summary: "Gaïa? Like the Greek Mother-Earth?" "No, Gaïa like the Asgardian Goddess of Light and Fertility." "Oh." or In which, Thor's little sister just wants to be a hero, too.
1. Chapter 1

**ONE.**

Gaïa was quite a perceptive girl, quiet but intelligent. She looked up to both of her big brothers, Thor for his undeniable strength, and Loki for his cunning and his silver tongue. They each had admirable traits, and their flaws, but Gaïa loved them all the same.

She had been a relatively quiet as a child, adored by the Asgardians for her beautiful smile. Her mother, Frigga, transformed her into the elegant woman that she was, taught her the basics of magic and sent her off with Sif to learn how to fight. Gaïa always felt as if she was never quite enough for Odin, her father; she could never be quite as mighty as Thor, which constantly left a bitter taste in her mouth. Yet, on several occasions, Odin would praise her about her quick wit and courage, usually leaving the girl confused as to where she stood with her father.

Those were the instances where she was glad to lean on Loki, as he constantly lived in Thor's shadow, and in some cases, they could relate. It was not until Thor's coronation did Gaïa realize how big of a shadow both Odin and Thor could make (and why she believed her mother to be perfect, as she had trained Loki in magic and made him able to make light for himself).

Gaïa stuck by Loki's side after Thor's banishment, and when their father fell into Odinsleep, even when Loki had discovered his true parentage. Loki ascended to the throne, since Odin was in no place to handle it and Thor was gone. Gaïa knew she was not ready for such a thing, the weight would surely break her will.

As Gaïa was the Goddess of Light, she made a single visit to her brother on Midgard, not traveling physically as one would with the Bifrost, but by ways of magic and of the light. Her form seemed physically to be on Midgard, but it was just a manifestation people could see.

She found her brother in a woman's home, where he was happily eating breakfast. She watched on curiously, momentarily believing that this was suiting to Thor, he was learning, just as Father had intended.

"Sister!" Thor boomed, standing from his seat and walking towards her. As he went to embrace her, his hands passed through her form, making him frown.

"A pleasure to see you well, Brother," she said, her voice light and airy, beautiful like a bell.

The three other figures at the table turned to look at her, staring in bewilderment.

"How did you get in here?" shouted one.

"Going to a Renaissance Faire?" inquired another.

"By God," whispered the last.

Thor turned to them, "Friends, this is my sister Gaïa, Goddess of Light and Fertility." Thor was beaming. "Sister, these are my newfound friends, Jane, Darcy and Erik."

Gaïa nodded in welcoming, "I thank you for taking in my brother,"

"Tell me, have you come with news? Has Father—"

The young girl shook her head, "No news comes from Asgard, I simply wished to see how you were doing."

"A Goddess in my home?" Jane whispered, voice barely audible, eyebrows furrowed.

Gaïa's blue eyes, similar to Thor's, flickered over to Jane. And she smiled. Gaïa had never spoken to any Midgardian, and only made this mind trip to Midgard once before, when her mother had first trained her in the art of it. She was still fascinated with humans, her head turning slightly to the side as she studied the three Midgardians.

She could feel her head beginning to spin, as it did the first time (her mother told her to practice, but it seemed she did not). She took a long breath through her nose, "I must go, Thor, I shall visit again."

"Bring me back with you," Thor almost pleaded.

Gaïa frowned at her big brother, wishing that she could, but knowing this had all been for a reason. "Apologies that I cannot." She sighed, looking up at Thor. "May we meet again, Brother,"

Thor nodded, and went to hug her but stopped himself. Gaïa smiled sadly as she faded out of the room, much like a mirage, and awoke from a meditative state back in her room. She felt bad for defying Loki, as he had made it clear that no one could go and visit Thor, but technically she had not, not physically anyways.

There was a commotion outside, forcing Gaïa to go and check to see what the fuss was about. One lady screamed and she was out of her room and running down the hall. Coming upon the room of the All-Father, she saw what had caused the scream.

A Frost Giant, a Jötunn, sat guarding the door, while Gaïa assumed more were inside to assassinate her father, and evidently her mother.

Gaïa put out her right arm as a ball of light formed in her hand and blasted it at the Jotun. He collapsed onto the ground, before coming to his senses and going to stand again. She sent another blast towards his head before reaching into her tiny thigh scabbard that held a dagger. With a surge of her power through her hand, the dagger extended into a magnificent sword, glowing with light.

She started towards the intruder just as Loki rounded the corner, Gungnir in hand. He looked particularly calm, but he killed the Jotun before Gaïa could and then entered the room to kill the others before they could kill Odin and Frigga.

All the events seemed to spiral quickly after that — the Warriors Three betraying Loki and going to get Thor, Thor returning with Mjölnir, and discovering Loki wanted to destroy Jotunheim.

In the end, he was unable to destroy the Jotuns, as Thor broke the rainbow bridge of the Bifröst. Now, no one was able to travel using the Bifröst. But Loki had fallen, letting go and allowing himself to die in the voids below the bridge. Gaïa had run across the bridge to help her father in retrieving her brothers, but she was too late. Loki was gone and the ache started to build in her chest.

* * *

The time she spent grieving Loki almost stole all the light from her eyes. Ingrid, Gaïa's handmaiden, had to leave her meals outside her bedroom since she never left her chamber. She spent time sulking, wishing to wake from her nightmare where her brother was dead, hoping to find him alive causing mischief. Frigga eventually was able to get the girl back to her senses, after a long talk well into the night.

It was not long after when Gaïa and Thor discovered Loki was alive, plotting to become King on Midgard. Odin was only able to conjure up enough dark magic to send Thor to retrieve him, but Gaïa sent her best wishes and disappeared off into her room.

Gaïa sat in the middle of her bed, and let herself focus on moving her astral form to Midgard. She might not have been able to fight, or be in her physical form to help Thor, but she needed to see Loki. She found it hard to believe he was alive after the long fall.

She followed along with Thor's essence, finding him in an aircraft hovering in the sky. Although a breathtaking vehicle, it did not quite compare to that of Asgard's technology. She quietly passed through corridors, in search of Loki, hoping to steer clear of anyone who would sound the alarm at her arrival.

"—let me know if _real power_ needs a magazine or something."

Gaïa hid in the corner until the man left the room, her crystal blue eyes flickering across the room to find Loki standing alone in the middle of a circle of glass, and she guess that was where he was being imprisoned. He looked almost smug, but Gaïa ventured out of the dark and into the light so he could see her.

Loki grinned at his sister.

"I thought you dead," she whispered, stepping closer to him.

Loki did not have to guess if she mourned for him, he _knew_, he knew that she and Frigga loved him more than Thor and Odin ever could. "Ah, yes, and I have seen things you cannot imagine."

Her eyebrows furrowed, stopping so she was just in front of the glass. She noticed, his once very green eyes almost seemed cold, and they had grown into a blue. She stared at him, bewilderment on her face — was this truly her brother? Or had the pain of the abyss changed him?

"_Loki_," she breathed.

"Don't, Gaïa. You cannot stop me."

"Who has done this to you?" she ventured, her eyes pained. "This isn't you."

"How would you know?" he snarled lowly, his nose crinkling.

She frowned sadly, then she sighed. "Brother, please,"

"Have you forgotten?" His air of smugness returned. "I am no son of Odin, and therefore not your brother."

It almost hurt to hear him say it, "Blood matters not to me, Loki. You _are_ my brother, and my friend. Have you forgotten all of our time together? Us growing up side-by-side?"

Loki scoffed, "Please, Gaïa, have some maturity. You need to grow up. The world does not cater to you—"

"I never said it did!—"

"It is not all sunshine and rainbows — there is unimaginable cruelty," Loki almost faltered, remembering his time with Thanos, but he shoved it away, "and most times, there's nothing you can do to stop it."

"Loki, please,"

On the upper deck, where Thor was discussing matters with the others, Bruce drew the attention away from Thor and pointed towards the cameras.

"Who the hell is that?"

"How did she get in there?"

"That is my sister,"

"Is she on his side?"

Thor shook his head, starting towards where Loki was being kept, "No, she's not even here."

All of the Avengers, and agents, stared in the direction he had gone in confusion. She was not even here? How was that possible? Everyone could clearly see her on the monitor.

Hearing Thor approach, Gaïa turned to him sadly. Her words had done nothing in bringing Loki back to his senses, now she was only left with the ideas Thor would have in bringing him back to Asgard.

"Please bring him home safely."

* * *

With the news of Loki's return to Asgard, with aid from the Tesseract, Gaïa discovered that a battle had broken out between Loki, his army and the Avengers. She knew what her father must've been thinking, to execute him for his crimes and although she did not recognize Loki through all his pain, she knew this was not the answer.

"Father," she began, approaching his throne, eyes pleading. "Please spare Loki."

The All-Father rose an eyebrow at the girl, "Loki has created far too much destruction, far more than he's worth to spare."

Gaïa had never outwardly defied her father before, never really imagined she would have to. But in that moment, she could not bare the thought of Loki being executed. "This is how you raised him, in the shadow of Thor. How can you do this to your son? You only banished Thor, and although their actions do not quite equate, you have _always_ favored Thor. Do something for your other son, for once."

Odin's eye grew hard, his eyebrows furrowing. "You. Are. Dismissed."

Gaïa wanted to scream, but obeyed her father none-the-less. She stormed out of the throne room, her anger hot, her temper rising. Her mother started passed her, into the throne room, sparing Gaïa only a hopeful smile.

In the end, Frigga was able to spare her son's life, leaving him to be locked away until the end of his days in solitude. Frigga visited him as often as she could through ways of magic, and Gaïa did so in secret while she was alone in her room.

The cell had many more things than any other, books, a bed, a table, a chair. Loki was laying down in his bed, a book in hand. He looked over curiously at her astral form.

"Tell me why you did it." was the first thing she said to him.

Loki sat up, glancing over at his sister before placing the book down on the table. He stood, their eyes almost equal, but she was just a few inches shorter than her brother. "Survival is a funny thing."

Gaïa's eyebrows furrowed. "Survival? Tell me how you're alive. Did the fall not kill you?"

Loki, although agitated at his predicament, decided to level with the girl. She was decently naïve and he figured a few answers would suit her plenty.

"I fell into worlds you've never known about, at the far reaches of the cosmos. A Mad Titan sits, searching for his treasures, sending those out who are on his strings to do his dirty work. You either retrieve it or die."

"Tesseract," she whispered, eyes lighting up in revelation. "How has he gotten you to do these things?"

Loki looked pained for a moment, and Gaïa realized it was a topic best left unsaid.

"Brother,"

Loki rolled his eyes at the sentiment.

Gaïa's features grew fierce, her lips forming a hard line. "I loved you, Loki. Have you forgotten all of our hardships on Asgard? How we stuck together, as brother and sister, as friends who could always turn to each other, even as children? Have you forgotten all of that?"

He paused, looking at his feet before meeting her eyes again. His little sister. "I think it best for you to leave."

Gaïa made no argument, hoping to come back within the next few days. She faded out and awoke back in her room, staring at her wall. She noticed Ignrid was tidying up her clothes in the corner, leaving Gaïa in peace.

"May I inquire for some advice?" Gaïa asked, filling the almost silent room with her melodic voice.

Ingrid jumped, slightly startled, turning to face the Princess. She pushed the brown hair from her face, "Of course, Gaïa." Ingrid knew Gaïa hated to only be referred to as Princess, especially while they were only alone.

"Loki has done some terrible things, for that I cannot refute, however how would one go about cheering him up?"

Ingrid pursed her lips. "I suppose the best thing would to get him a small gift, or a letter. That is, if you can get it to him." Yet, the handmaiden knew Gaïa would be able to, if she desired.

Gaïa smiled, an idea popping into her head. A small gift. Books, Loki loved books and surely, this could make the time in his cell feel a little less lonely. So the Goddess set out to retrieve some books, finding a few very interesting ones in town.

Once all were asleep, Gaïa set out on her mission. One upside of being the Goddess over Light was the fact that she could manipulate it in such a way that it cloaked her in invisibility. She used the power primarily in childhood, but never had much of a reason to use it presently.

The books in her hands, book marked with a single note (reading: _You will always be my brother, Loki. I will always love you_.) also cloaked under her power, she was able to sneak passed the guards and to Loki's cell.

Sliding the books into the food chute beside his cell, she watched as the noise of the books enter the chute caused Loki to stir. Blinking away the sleep from his eyes, he looked to see the books waiting for him. She knew all the other books had come from their mother, but she was glad to help. Loki simply smiled, glancing out of his cell to see no one there, but he knew who it had been.

* * *

The attack of the Dark Elves had taken most of the Asgardians off guard. Jane, Thor's first real love, had been invaded by the Aether, the Infinity Stone of reality. It was slowly killing her, much like a parasite would its host.

Frigga was killed defending Jane from Malekith, and unfortunately the young girl witnessed the murder of her mother. Thor yelled out in anguish, while Gaïa collapsed to her knees. Gaïa had nothing against Jane, not even after the death of her beloved mother, but now it was even more personal for her to seek revenge.

A fire was starting under the Goddess's skin, the light in her core building and growing, growing into a mass of power. Her mother had taught her that anger should never be the root of power, as sometimes you cannot get angry fast enough to defend yourself. But the young girl could barely even hear the advice — all she could see was her mother's lifeless body. She could have saved Frigga, if only she was faster, stronger; if only she had been a better daughter.

Later that day, Thor went to Loki for help, while Gaïa was locked away in her room. The brothers used Loki's secret passage way between realms to stop Malekith, and the fight eventually led to Midgard.

News came back that Loki had been killed, and Gaïa's world fell out from under her. After being told the news from her brother and father, she screamed so loud both men winced. As she fell to her knees, before Thor could catch her, a surge of light burst from her, knocking both king and prince back, and sending all the chairs and tables back several feet.

It took hours to console her.

Thor returned to Midgard to help his friends, and it was then Gaïa began to return to her normal self. She still had this unshakable sadness within her bones, but she was able to live day-by-day. It was in these days she began to get flashes in her dreams of devastation and destruction, that left her breathless by the time she woke up.

The flashes grew longer, fading into her days. These events eventually came to pass, and Gaïa had no idea who to turn to. Her brother was gone on other planets, and her father was typically busy.

And then she remembered the witch in the woods.


	2. Chapter 2

**TWO.**

Gaïa did not know if news of her visions was something she should speak to Odin about. She feared being ridiculed for being any different from her brother. No one in her family, that she knew of, had ever had visions. Therefore, she kept the visions to herself, until one day, she was unable to ignore it.

Standing in the library, browsing over the books, she was overcome with a vision. It took away her sight, leaving her to only see the event.

She began seeing flashes of Midgard, of towering skyscrapers and a fight over a stone. Her vision warped to a highly technologically advanced country and a battle, between what she assumed were the natives and space "wardogs". The battle did not seem to be turning out too well when her vision stopped.

Gaïa blinked, staring back at the books in front of her. She had an eerie feeling something was going to Midgard, something big and something bad.

She dropped the books she had onto a nearby table, and rushed off towards the air vehicles. She needed to investigate to see if there really _was_ a witch in the woods, and if she would have answers. Her first choice was to turn to her mother, but that wasn't necessarily an option.

* * *

After starting her journey into the woods, she kept watch out. Normally, nothing inhabited these woods, except for Bilgesnipe and several deer-like species. Both lived relatively peacefully unless disturbed, so the young Goddess decided to keep quiet.

She had on her boots, that almost came up to her knees, and these were her riding boots. She also adorned a white dress, coming down just below her knees. Coming out into the woods had been a split second decision after having _that_ vision.

Gaïa knew to not travel far, if she did she would cross into the far reaches of Asgard where it was always winter. But the girl stumbled into the brush, stirring up what Midgardian's would consider butterflies, and she took a deep breath and looked around. Perhaps going along this same path was her best option.

Ahead of her, the trees swayed and a horse emerged, with a lady upon its back. The lady had dark and slightly untamed hair, a black trenchcoat, with black smeared all around her eyes. The horse stopped and the lady stared at her.

"Gaïa, the Goddess of Light and Fertility." The woman stated, her head held high, dark eyes watching the blonde.

Gaia's lips parted as she continued to stare at the woman. "Are you the witch in the woods?"

The woman laughed, "Is that what they call me nowadays?" She took a breath to steady herself. "Call me Zena. Follow me, child. We have much to discuss."

Gaïa followed hesitantly behind the horse, trying to keep up her pace. She felt stupid for not bringing her own horse, Oen, but she needed to be discrete.

They came along to a hut, built primarily with wood, with a roof that came out far beyond the door. The wildlife was not untamed as if had been in the woods, where weeds and plants overgrew, rather it seemed taken care of. Several plants grew at the farther end of the clearing, crops Gaïa presumed, but they were surrounded by trees so travelers would not happen to stumble upon it. The sun reached in, however, keeping the area warm, and the plants happy.

Zena unmounted her horse, and the horse walked off to graze. The woman turned her attention back to Gaïa, who was still looking around, glancing at the fire pit not too far from the door, where a kettle sat in the embers.

"Please, come in," Zena gestured into her home.

Gaïa walked into, to find it seemed larger on the inside: there was a loft where the woman slept above them, a tiny "kitchen" made mostly with wood, a tiny sitting area with books all along the table. It was quaint, but homey.

Gaïa sat in one of the chairs and Zena lit the light above and even though the windows allowed in plenty of light, the light above helped.

"I come seeking advice."

Zena nodded, sitting beside the girl, "I know," she began, "I knew one of Odin's children would find me eventually after I heard news of Frigga's death."

Gaia's eyebrows drew inward, "Excuse me?"

Zena sat back in her chair, "Your mother was really the only one who could've understood. Some call it a curse that was bestowed upon your family ages ago, others would consider it a blessing."

"The visions?" Gaïa inquired.

Zena nodded, "Aye, your grandfather had them. It skips a generation or two, I've come to learn. I figured it would be you or one of your brothers who would inherit it."

"Well, not Loki, he was not Odinson in blood, and he is dead."

Zena raised an eyebrow at the girl, knowing she did not know the full truth, but decided not to speak on it.

"It is called the Sight. It typically spurs up in times of great turmoil, where danger is lurking. It was how your grandfather was able to get to Midgard in time to stop the Jötunns."

"So Asgard is in danger? I saw Midgard primarily."

"It does not necessarily have to be Asgard. The Sight lends a helping hand in times of trouble. It probably would not have started so soon, but death can be a trigger for it. Now you have a very big head start into what is to come on Midgard, and perhaps the rest of the cosmos too." Zena's voice was eerie, as if she knew something she was not allowed to speak of.

"Are you recommending me to go to Midgard?"

Zena sat up, "Yes, being on Midgard will hopefully trigger more visions in what is to come to pass, and help you decipher how it is you can help."

_Well, I'm not much use on Asgard currently_, Gaïa thought with a sigh. _And perhaps this will put me in good favor with Father, and have my own heroic story to tell Thor!_

"I shall head there immediately then,"

Perhaps she was being a bit naïve, thinking she could just go to Midgard and discover the problem and fix it. But she was born into a family of heroes, being any less than heroic simply wasn't an option.

"A plan might suit this endeavor," Zena told Gaïa. "Where shall you stay? You could wait months, years even for all the events to unfold."

Gaïa pondered that a moment. "Surely someone would want to help out Thor's sister? They love him."

"Midgardian's aren't all pure of heart." Zena told her, "Have Heimdall drop you off in a place called New York City. Wizards reside there. They go on and on about protecting their planet, I'm sure they would lend a helping a hand."

Gaïa nodded, "Thank you, Zena,"

* * *

Odin seemed pleasantly on board with the plan, perhaps for the sake of getting his daughter off Asgard or that he was happy his daughter wanted to be heroic. Either way, Odin gave his blessing, giving the all clear to Heimdall, who seemed to be growing increasingly distressed.

"Gaïa!" called a familiar baritone voice.

The girl turned to see Bolin, a Vanir, and a good friend despite their age difference. Bolin had been a good friend of Hogun, and Thor, before befriending the girl. Whenever Thor was not around, Bolin thought it his duty to protect the Princess whenever she wasn't in the castle.

"I hear you're heading to Midgard," he started, approaching her.

"News travels fast." she said.

"I'm comin' with you." he told her.

Gaïa rolled her eyes, "I don't need a babysitter. I'll ask Alexsei to pop in on me every now and again."

Bolin pursed his lips, "A sound idea. Let me go with you, get you settled."

She knew there was no arguing with him. She knew Thor probably encouraged him before leaving in search of the Infinity Stones. "Fine."

They departed together, Bolin having a quick word with Alexsei. Heimdall wished her luck and they were off into the Bifröst, towards Midgard.

They arrived just outside the city Zena had told Gaïa to go to. Gaïa knew she didn't have any directions, but Bolin by her side reassured her. Gaïa started to get overwhelmed by the city, the masses of people and how they would bump into her or point fingers for her "unusual" outfit.

Bolin let Gaïa off into a quieter area, "Let me scope this place out. I'll find this wizard." And he was off, leaving Gaïa alone in an alleyway.

The sound of electricity startled her, and she turned, finding a circle of orange light, the center being someplace else. Gaïa looked on questioningly, her hands starting to glow with light.

A man emerged, stepping out into the alley to see the young Goddess staring at him. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, he had been alerted of someone from another planet arriving to Earth. He did not necessarily believe them to be a threat, but he needed to ensure that they weren't.

Bolin rounded the corner, seeing the strange man, immediately pulled out his knives, which were long and curved and always proved to be a formidable weapon.

The strange man clicked his hands together and two orange circles appeared practically out of nowhere. He stayed in his fighting stance, until it clicked with Gaïa.

"The wizard! We've found him."

Strange cast a confused look at the girl, "More like I found _you_."

The light in Gaia's hands disappeared, and she extended a hand over to Bolin to lower his weapons. He hesitated before he complied.

"Mister Wizard, my name is Gaïa Odinsdottir, I come from Asgard. I came here to help."

"First off," he said, lowering his arms. "It's _Doctor Stephen Strange_. Second, what are you here to help with?"

"I've had visions of your world coming under threat from a formidable foe. I was told arriving here would help me see it all more clearly, and I would be able to prevent it."

Stephen raised an eyebrow before he invited them into the sanctum.


	3. Chapter 3

**THREE.**

Stephen invited them to sit, and got them tea, which Gaïa was overly thankful for. He tried to gauge the girl, he knew she was not lying, he knew _of_ her; she _was_ Thor's sister. She was a goddess, in Asgard's standards, but she didn't look much older than sixteen.

"I had visions of these _creatures_ coming to retrieve the time stone," she began, setting her tea down beside her. "And then it flips to someplace else where it appears a war is going on."

"Do you have a timeframe on this?"

"No," Gaïa frowned, "I'm hoping that my stay here will put everything into perspective."

Stephen nodded, sitting back. After a little more convincing, he was on board. "Then I suggest you stay in the Sanctum, for it provides protection and I will be here in case you get any new revelations."

"That would be splendid." Gaïa told Stephen with a grin. She turned to Bolin. "See, Bo? I'll be fine."

Bolin stared at her with an eyebrow raised, "I _will_ still be coming to check in on you."

"That's fine." Gaïa agreed. Getting Bolin to give her space was a feat in itself, she was glad he wouldn't hover too much.

Bolin raised an eyebrow, watching the girl carefully. He glanced over at the wizard, silently analyzing him, but he knew the girl was decent at protecting herself. He sighed, trusting that she knew what she was doing and patted her shoulder with a smile and left.

Gaïa turned her attention back to Stephen, who tried to offer a smile, but he was still questioning the being in the Sanctum. Perhaps he would seek advice from Wong, as surely he would help.

"Well, we don't necessarily have a _guest_ room where you can stay," he drew a long breath, "but on the far end of this hall, there's a room I can try to find a bed for."

"That's sufficient, I shall have my father transfer you units for your efforts, and if there is any other need for necessities."

Stephen nodded, "You are the sister to Thor, I assume?"

"Yes,"

"I'm sure I know someone else who would give you some extra cash, just for that fact."

"I'm really not supposed to let on that I am related to him."

"They're..._work_...friends, it'll be no harm."

It turned out the person Stephen was talking about was Tony Stark, a very popular man on Midgard. Thor once referred to him as the Man of Iron when discussing stories of being an Avenger.

Gaïa thought it necessary to pay Stephen for his efforts, but perhaps at the end of her endeavor, where there would actually be a total price tag on what the man had done for her.

* * *

Neighbors grew increasingly confused at the new inhabitant at the mysterious place next door. She was rarely seen, but whenever she was over the weeks, she was generally wearing the same white dress, or in old t-shirts and baggy sweatpants.

Stephen decided to take Gaïa out to the grocery, in hopes of triggering any visions and in effort for her to learn more about Midgardians (even if it was just food).

"And this?"

"That's an apple."

"But that one's an apple!" Gaïa said, pointing to the green fruit and gesturing to the shiny red one in her hand.

"They're different types of apples, but they're both apples."

Gaïa nodded, putting down the fruit. "What is on your list that we must retrieve?"

Stephen glanced down at the piece of paper in his hand, a few things in his handwriting and the rest in Wong's (who Gaïa grew more friendly towards).

"Bok choy, rice, chicken, carrots, garlic, milk, and that's all we need for now."

Gaïa nodded, glancing around the store, staring at all the colorful things. It was growing slowly darker outside, but thankfully the grocer was not all that crowded. She heard bickering in the aisle over, and she turned her attention to the voices as they rounded the corner towards her and Stephen.

"—May, I told you it doesn't matter."

"You're finishing your freshman year in high school! That's important! That's a big step. If you don't want a party, that's cool, but at least let me make you a special dinner to celebrate."

Gaïa looked on at the interaction curiously, as Stephen was looking through the shelf for a specific brand. As if knowing she was staring at them, Peter looked over and furrowed his eyebrows. Gaïa cocked her head to the side, before Stephen drew her attention away from the two and back to shopping.

When they reached checkout, it seemed Stephen knew the clerk, as this was his grocery that he always used.

"Nice to see you again, Stephen," said the old woman. "Who's this?"

"This is my niece," said Stephen without missing a beat. He had planned for questions such as these, since he had no idea how long the goddess would be staying.

"I didn't know you had a niece." she said, ringing up the items.

"My sister moved to Norway, I don't see her much." Stephen lied easily with a smile.

The woman nodded, "What's your name, sweetheart?"

She pondered using her real name, and figured there was no real harm. "Gaïa."

"Oh, what a pretty name," said the clerk.

Gaïa smiled, watching as the woman scanned their items. The numbers on the pinpad in front of them kept rising, which Gaïa found to be fascinating. She did not understand Midgard's technology at the start, but she was beginning to get a knack for such things.

Stephen swiped his card, and thanked the cashier, grabbing the bags. Their walk back to the Sanctum was filled with Gaïa's questions. This time, it was mostly about Stephen's favorite meal, and his favorite foods (he really appreciated ratatouille, and he loved New York cheesecake — Wong later revealed Stephen was a sucker for a street chili dog, on occasion).

"Do you miss home?" Stephen asked the girl, opening the door and allowing her in first.

"Not nearly as much as I thought I would. Two of the people I held dearest are dead. Thor is off on a mission he speaks not much of, and Father was far too busy to pay me much attention. I do miss my friends, and the comforts of home, but this is necessary. Sacrifices are necessary."

Stephen pursed his lips, frowning at the girl. She seemed too young to have to deal with such tragedies and the possibility of battle there on Earth. He wanted to send her home, but he discovered that the Goddess of Light and Fertility was as stubborn as she was kind. There was no taking this "mission" from her, even if part of Stephen believed there was no big danger ahead. All this she would have to discover for herself if she was to learn anything.

Wong used the ingredients to prepare a nice meal, allowing Gaïa to help (since she desired to learn the Midgardian way of cooking with a stove). Gaïa explained her kitchens were much different, and although they did have stoves, the did not quite look like the one in the Sanctum's kitchen.

It was that night that the girl had another glimpse into the future, although she could not tell that it was related to the other pieces of information she had gathered. It threw flashes of a building called Midtown High, and the rest was slightly blurred, a man in a flying suit with wings, several glimpses at alien technology (later realizing it was Chitauri in origin), and finally, after pushing forward, there was a flash of a giant circular ship, with no center like a ring.

She gasped, coming out from the vision, and in the late hours of the night, she traveled to the kitchen to make herself some tea. Chamomile, she learned, was the most soothing to her, green tea being a close second. Her heart was racing, and she had to focus hard on the flashes she had seen.

Gaïa decided to investigate, and found Stephen's laptop in the den upstairs, which he had showed her several days ago how to use it. She typed in the guest password and found her way to Google, typing in Midtown High.

Midtown School of Science and Technology was one of the first links to pop up, and Gaïa clicked on it. The image on the home page was pretty much the exact same one she had seen in her vision. Apparently, this was a "advanced" school that favored smarter students, but she couldn't find a connection with anything relating to her other flashes. She worked well into the morning, when Stephen wandered into the kitchen to make coffee.

Stephen glanced over her shoulder, peaking at what she was searching.

"Stephen, what are the chances of me being able to investigate this school?"

Stephen raised an eyebrow, grabbing a mug from the cabinet. "Not very likely, seeing as the school year just ended and won't start again until September."

Gaïa frowned.

"What's your interest?"

She sighed, laying her head in her hand as she continued to scroll, "I saw it last night, I feel like it's connected to my earlier visions somehow."

Stephen pursed his lips, "And you think going will help further your visions?"

"Yes! Having the entire picture will help me, will help Midgard. Maybe if I figure it all out quick enough, I can stop it before it starts." She shut the laptop and ran a hand over her face, rubbing her dry and tired eyes.

"So let's see if we can get you enrolled."


	4. Chapter 4

**FOUR.**

It turned out slightly more difficult than Gaïa originally imagined. She had to have something called a "social security number" and a history regarding schools. Thankfully, Stephen was able to find a notable school in Norway to use in her records that had closed down (which helped out if Midtown decided to call the school).

Stephen's magic came in handy several times, but he couldn't just pull a SSN "out of his ass" (his words, not Gaïa's). He recommended traveling to Stark Tower and requesting Tony's help. And that's where Gaïa grew nervous, she couldn't quite live up to the mighty Thor, and perhaps that was why she believed Tony wouldn't help. She didn't look much like a hero.

It took several minutes to steady herself enough enter the Avengers Tower, the one Thor had described in his stories. She was not quite sure how she was going to convince Tony to help her, she hoped mention of her brother would be enough (even if she felt weak relying so much on her brother).

Gaïa walked up to the front desk, where a lady sat typing away. She was surprised that it wasn't all automatic, considering who Tony was, but Gaïa remembered hearing people actually worked on the first few floors. The remaining floors were left to Tony and the other Avengers.

"Uh, hello," Gaïa began, gaining the woman's attention, "I'm here to see Tony Stark."

The woman scoffed without looking up, "Do you have an appointment?"

Gaïa frowned, "No, but this is—"

"Right, come back when you have an appointment."

Gaïa sighed, but began her way back towards the front door. She glanced around the lobby, where the elevator caught her attention. Stephen had told her that this was necessary and so being sneaky would also have to be necessary. With a long breath, her form disappeared, and she started passed the front desk towards the elevator.

A man hit the button to call the elevator, dressed in a suit, with a briefcase. He looked nothing like Thor had once described, but he was her ticket onto the elevator without arising suspicion. Once the doors opened, she followed close behind him. There were so many numbers, she could not even begin to guess which floor she would find Tony on. Perhaps she should have asked Stephen for more assistance.

When the doors opened, the man stepped off, she noticed there was a man that fit Tony's description and the one photo she had seen of him.

Gaïa rushed off the elevator, her invisibility fading, "Tony Stark!"

"Woah! Woah!"

She was stopped for going any further from the man she had ridden the elevator with. He was much bigger than her, not necessarily in the realm of Thor, but enough to be intimidating. When he grabbed her from continuing towards Tony, she tossed her now glowing hands up and jumped backwards, before the light went out and she placed her hands back to her sides.

The girl looked uncannily familiar to Tony, and he thought for a second, finally recalling where he remembered her. Back when Loki had invaded Earth, and a strange figure was seen near Loki's cell and Thor had called her sister.

"Well, I'll be damned."

Happy looked back at Tony, confused now. Gaïa cocked her head to the side.

"Mr. Stark, or do you prefer Man of Iron? Valhalla, that was rude of me—"

"Simmer down, Goldilocks," he said, crossing his arms over his chest after waving Happy off.

Happy went to protest, "Sir—"

Tony only gave him a look and he frowned, stepping away from the girl.

"Goldilocks? Surely, you're mistaken — my name is Gaïa Odinsdottir."

Tony only chuckled at her, "Tell me, what's your big brother up to nowadays?"

Gaïa stepped closer to him, "Valhalla only knows, off in space somewhere, I assume."

Tony nodded, beckoning her further into the room, "Why did you feel the need to break into the tower?"

Gaïa's blue eyes went wide, "I meant no offense, Mr. Stark!"

"Calm down, kid,"

Her eyebrows furrowed at the word _kid_. She was in no ways a child! In fact, she was older than the man before her! She frowned, keeping a lasso on her tongue, so she did not speak out of term — she was here for his help, after all.

"I came for assistance," she began, "I need a social security number, to start school, and my guardian is unable to conjure up one."

"A social? What school?"

"Midtown School of Science and Technology." Gaïa told him, fiddling with her thumbs, biting the inner part of her lip. She hoped Tony and Thor had parted on good terms, but she was sure she would never have heard the end of it if Thor had parted bitterly.

"Don't you have schools on Asgard?"

"Oh, of course! I had the best tutors, I assure you I am more than capable for this school. That is no issue — and not really my main concern." she sighed before explaining, "You see, I had a vision and it has led me to this school. I am hoping that being closer to the things the see, the more my visions will reveal and in turn, will help Midgard."

Tony raised an eyebrow at the girl.

"I fear a war is closing in on your planet, and I am aiming to stop it before it starts."

"A war, huh?" Happy asked, raising a curious eyebrow at the goddess, "What do you know about a war?"

"It does not look good. Blood is needlessly shed, innocent lives lost. I have seen too much of that to watch it happen again." she told the two men earnestly, the blue in her eyes suddenly looking overcast.

Tony understand that a little too well, and he nodded. "All right, I'll have one for you before dinner."

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Stark! I really do owe you one." she told him with a grin, the goddess of light looking particularly radiant and grateful.

Tony nodded before excusing himself, asking Happy to keep her entertained until he returned. Happy, not in anyway interested in being a babysitter, threw her the television remote.

"Go wild." And then Happy walked off down the hallway to leave the briefcase he had in hand, only return to stand and watch curiously.

She picked up on Midgardian technology quickly, flicking through the channels until she found something of interest. Gaïa sat in silence until Tony returned a few hours later with a social security card.

"Is that your power, visions?" Tony asked, handing her the card after she stood to greet him.

"One of the newest of them, yes." She took the card gratefully, "I am the Goddess of Light and Fertility."

Tony pursed his lips, before pulling a phone out of his pocket. "Don't lose this or the card. I'll get in touch with you if I need to cash in on that favor."

"Oh! Wonderful. Thank you, again, Mr. Stark."

"Yeah, you're welcome."

Gaïa parted ways quickly after that, returning to the Sanctum, waving the card around like she had won a lottery. Tiny as it may have seemed, it was a step closer to unraveling the mystery of her visions, and that was a must to help out Midgard.

She just wanted to be a hero, so badly did she want to have her own tale to tell.


End file.
